Parachute.



M. LDS ON. PARACHUTE.

APPLICATION man on. so, 1915.

Patented Apr. 11, 1916.

a 9h 1 m 0 z 1 a 6 5 u 3 2 J 4 W M L MIKE LOSON, OF WILLIMANTIC, CONNECTICUT.

PARACHUTE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 11, 1916.

Application filed October 30, 1915. Serial No. 58,871.

To all'whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, MIKE LosoN, a subject of the King of Hungary, residing at VVillimantic, in the county of Windham and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Parachutes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in parachutes.

The primary object of this invention is to provide a foldable parachute adapted to automatically open when desired for use and being constructed for normally maintaining the flexible canopy portion in compact arrangement.

A further object of the invention is'to provide means for descending from high ,altitudes such as balloons, aeroplanes and the like consisting of an umbrella arrangement adapted for automatic opening and arranged to open and close the rib portions upon each otherwith the canopy fabric mounted thereon, the said members being relatively shiftable during each actuation of the devlce.

A still further object is to provide an umbrella form of parachute having rib members consisting of folding gear sections operable during the opening and closing of the, device through the agency of resiliently connected stay members resiliently connected together for automatically opening the device.

With, these general objects in view and others that will appear as thenature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in the novel combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings forming a part of this application and in which like designating characters refer to corresponding parts throughout the several views :-Figure 1 is a side elevation ofthe device in its folded closed position. Fig. 2 is a radial central sectional view through the canopy portion thereof partially broken away and, illustrated in it open position. Fig. 3 is an enlarged central sectional view of the automatlc opening means for the parachute. Fig. 4 Is an enlarged side elevation partly in section of the rib joint connection with the operating stays, and Figs. 5 and 6 are enlarged perspective views of the engaging end portlons of a pair of the stays employed with the device.

Referring more in detail to the drawings, 1t be1ng understood that the invention provldes broadly an umbrella form of parachute, the same is herein illustrated as compr1s1ng a main rod 10 having a terminal loop 11 at its base projecting end 12 and whereby the parachute may be suspended upon. a hook 13 carried by an aeroplane or balloon (not shown). The opposite or handle end of the rod 10 is provided with a casing 14 having a loop 15 secured thereto and by which a trapeze or hand-hold cord member 16 may be attached for supporting a person or any desired weighted body.

A sleeve 17 is slidably mounted upon the rod 10 and is provided with a plurality of short stays 18 pivoted thereto at their inner ends, while their outer ends are provided with bifurcated attaching heads 19 adapted for the reception of the gear head 20 of the upper sections 21 of the ribs of the device. The said rib sections 21 which are opposite the stay heads 19 are pivoted to a stationary ring 22 carried by the rod 10 in the usual manner. p

A" tubular slide 23 is mounted upon the rod 10 having an actuating block 24: at one end thereof and adjacent the handle casing 14, while the opposite end of the slide 23 is longitudinally shiftably positioned telescoping over the sleeve 17. Relatively long stays 25 are pivoted at their inner ends to the slide 23 and have their outer ends provided with double heads 26. The double heads 26 are provided with perforations 27 by means of which the heads are pivoted upon the pivoting pins 28 which engage the heads 19 with the rib heads 20, it being seen by referring to Fig. 4 "of the drawings that the gear heads 20 are positioned centrally upon the pins 28 and between the sides of the double heads '26, while the separated portions of the bifurcated heads 18 overlie the double heads 26.

The terminal sections 29 of the ribs are provided with gear heads 30 similar to the heads 20 of the rib sections 21 and have a similar circular arrangement of teeth 31 thereon which are in constant mesh with similar teeth 32 of the gear heads 20, the gear heads 30 being pivoted to the double heads 26 by means of pins33 which extend through perforations 34% of the said double heads. 1

A limiting shoulder 35 is provided upon the rod 10 between the ring 22 and the sleeve 17 and a resilient gasket or buffer 36 is provided at one side of the said shoulder for limiting the opening or separating move- .ment of the sleeve 17 Anextension spring 37 encircles the rod 10 and is positioned within the slide 23 between the head at and the sleeve 17 for influencing the said sleeve outwardly of the said slide 2 A spring-pressed retaining hook 38 is carried by the handle casing 14: adapted toengage the sliding head 24 through a keeper opening 39 thereof.

In operation, the slide 23 is retained with the head 24: in contact with the inner end of the casing 14 and with the hook 38 retaining the same in that position and at which times the sleeve 17 will be telescoped within the slide 23 and the elements positioned as best illustrated in Fig. 1 of the drawings. Upon disengaging the hook 38 from the head 24, the slide 23 will be released which will force the sleeve 17 outwardly of the slide which increases the relative distance between the inner ends of the stays 18 and 25. By reason of the pivotal connections of the outer ends of the stays 18 and 25 with each other and with the outer ends of the rib sections 21, the sleeve 17 will be forced into contacting engagement with the shoulder bufler 36 and with the rib sections 21 in their open positions. The rib sections 29 are normally arranged flatly engaging the outer sides of the rod sections 21 with the device folded as shown in Fig. 1 and such opening movement of the rib sections 21 relatively moves the rib sections 29 by means of the engaging gear teeth 31 and 32 until the sections 29 are in longitudinal alinement with the sections 21 and the device is flatly open as illustrated in Fig. 2.

It will be understood that a flexible canopy 10 is provided for overlying the ribs 21-29 being secured thereto in the usual manner. This canopy is folded inwardly of the rib sections when the said sections are folded together as illustrated in Fig. 1 and provides a suspending means for the parachute when the same is open in its operative umbrella form The parachute is readily closed by forcing the slide 23 into engagement with the casing 19 and at which time the hook. 38 automatically engages within the keeper opening 39 of the slide head 24, the stays 1825 forcing the sleeve 17 within the slide 23 and compressing the operating spring 37 during its closing operation of the device.

l/Vhile the form of the invention herein shown and described is what is believed to be the preferred embodiment thereof, it is nevertheless to be understood that minor changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the claims.

What I claim as new is r- 1. A parachute comprising a main rod, rib sections pivoted thereto at their inner ends, a sleeve slidably mounted upon the said rod, short stays pivotally connected between the said sleeve and the-outer ends of the said rib sections, a slide slidably carried by the said rod telescoping with the said sleeve, long stays pivotally connecting the said slide, and the said outer ends of the rib sections, outer rib sections pivoted to the outer ends of the said long stays, folding gear members provided in constant" meshing engagement connecting the adjacent ends of the said rib sections, a flexible canopy overlying the said rib sections, and automatic opening means for the parachute separatingly tensioned between the said slide and sleeve.

2. A parachute comprising a main rod, rib sections pivoted thereto at their inner ends, a sleeve slidably mounted upon the said rod, short stays connected between the said sleeve and the outer endsof the said rib sections, a slide slidably carried by the said rod telescoping with the said sleeve, long stays pivotally connecting the said slide and the said outer ends of the rib sections, outer rib sections pivoted to the outer ends of the said long stays, folding gear members provided in constant meshing engagement connecting the adjacent ends of the said rib sections, a

flexible canopy overlying the said rib sections, a helical opening sprmg-for the .parachute encirclingly carried by the said rod within the said slide, and inwardly of the said sleeve, a handle casing at the "free end of the said rod, a resilient catch hook'carried by the saidcasing, and a head carried by the free end of the said slide and provided with a keeper opening adapted for the locking reception of the said hook.

3. A parachute comprising a main rod, inner rib sections pivoted thereto, outer rod sections geared to the outer ends of the said inner rod sections and adapted for automatically flatly engaging the same during.

the closing operation of the parachute, a telescoping sleeve, a slide shiftably mounted 1 sleeve whereby the members of the said pairs upon the said rod, pairs of stays of difierent of stays and the said upper rib sections are 10 lengths pivotally connected together at their automatically shifted to their open posiouter ends and to the outer ends of the said tions.

upper rib sections, the inner ends of the In testimonywhereof I afiix mysignasaid stays being pivotallg attached to the ture.

said slide an sleeve an automatic sepav T rating means betweeh the said slide and MIKE 

